Lack of drama in Chase a problem for NASCAR

MARTINSVILLE, Va. - The first two years of the Chase for the Sprint Cup 2.0 format — the elimination-style tournament with a one-race championship — was filled with memorable moments, drama, tempers and entertainment.

This year’s version? So far, not so much.

The Chase has been a disappointment compared to the first two editions, mainly because not much has really happened.

The traditionally exciting races at Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway failed to deliver on their reputations, and there hasn’t been a great race among the other five so far, either.

There’s still time, of course, starting this week at Texas Motor Speedway. The final elimination race at Phoenix International Speedway should then be high drama, and the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway — by design — should be a thriller.

What’s missing to this point? Well, in a format that revolves around eliminations, the cuts have been relatively clean.

Three drivers — Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski and Jamie McMurray — have been eliminated because their engines failed. When that happens, there’s no highlight reel replay; it’s a shrug of the shoulders and a “We’ll get ‘em next year.” The same could be said for how Kyle Larson departed the Chase, with an electrical problem and blown tire.